The Baltimore Student Exchange Program (BSEP) is a win-win opportunity for students - take classes at other Baltimore region higher education institutions without racking up additional tuition charges.

Program Overview

Students are allowed to take one course per semester (Fall & Spring only) at a participating institution for credit. This is an Undergraduate program; participation by Graduate students is limited to the schools with which an agreement has been adapted to include this population. Further, some schools have limited program/divisional participation. Please see all notations designating limitations of participation.

The program is not the same as the international or national exchange student program. Students wanting to take courses at other institutions nationally and/or abroad as an exchange student should contact the Office of International Affairs.

* These are the only institutions which accept Graduate level students as part of the exchange.

Only the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and Whiting School of Engineering at the Homewood Campus (Main Campus) courses are eligible for BSEP.

Guidelines for Participation

There are certain stipulations placed on institutions and students participating in the program that cannot be altered. A complete version of the contract agreed upon by all participating institutions can be found at Baltimore College Town. These rules are meant to make the process efficient and manageable for both the host and home institutions.

Some of the stipulations include:

Students must be at a sophomore level or higher.

Graduate students must take graduate-level courses to participate unless permission is received in advance from their program director/advisor to take an undergraduate level course. - And only at designated participating schools.

Undergraduates may need permission to enroll in a graduate-level course; students will be notified if that is the case.

Students must be enrolled full-time, meaning a student must maintain 12 MICA credits on their schedule to be eligible.

Students are expected to take the course for a grade unless the grading scheme otherwise noted on the course at the host school (i.e. the course is only listed or offered as Pass/Fail).

Students must meet the pre-requisites for the course (or equivalent experience) and/or must take any placement tests required to enroll in the course (e.g. if an audition or a portfolio review is required, the interested student must abide by such conditions and submit work/requested documentation to the appropriate party)

Students must follow all academic policies and deadlines of the host institution (i.e. Add/Drop dates, exams, grade appeals, etc.)

The primary means of communication occur between the home and host registrar's office; students are asked to direct all inquiries to their home institution's representative. All paperwork must be submitted to and approved by the BSEP Coordinator, Associate Registrar, or Registrar at both institutions before a student is admitted into a course. Additional signatures may be required from advisors, faculty members, and/or Department Chairpersons in instances where the prior transfer credit approval is needed or a course is closed and permission is needed to overload the course beyond its current capacity.

BSEP Process for MICA Students

MICA Students who wish to take a course at one of the participating institutions should first browse the respective institution's website for information, upcoming semester schedules, and course descriptions. If pre-tests are required to enroll in a course, the student should contact the appropriate individual listed to schedule a testing session. All students must complete a BSEP form and submit it to the Associate Registrar for approval. The form will then be forwarded to the institution at which the student wants to take a course for credit. Students will be notified prior to the start of the semester (the start date of the host school) as to whether or not they were enrolled in the course they requested. Students who have submitted a form are encouraged to be patient as a final response can take up to 2 months (particularly over summer break). Certain schools can only register visiting student after the incoming class has been registered or during a specific time period in their registration process, and then upon a space availability basis.

Please Note: Submission of a form does not guarantee participation as space is often limited at host schools.

What types of courses do MICA students request?

MICA students often wish to take courses that are not typically offered by our institution such as foreign languages, hard sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, etc.), business courses, mathematics, certain history courses, physical education, certain literature courses, or social sciences. Additionally, students may find that other institutions offer degrees and courses which are similar to those offered at MICA; however, these courses may be taught from a different perspective and offer a unique learning experience which supplements their discipline training at MICA. These types of supplemental instruction have included museum studies courses, film courses, document preservation courses, video game design courses, and engineering courses.